Bet on Basketball

It’s the end of the month, and we’ve rocked the first part of the NBA season with some sterling results. I hope you’re all enjoying my free picks and analysis and best of luck for December! Here are my picks for today:

The Detroit Pistons are coming up against the Miami Heat tonight after they defeated the Wizards four nights ago when they managed to score 115 points. High scoring games are not very common for Piston fans, but they’re becoming accustomed to it after Ben Wallace’s trade to the Bulls when the Pistons’ defensive strength declined dramatically even though they picked up Nazr Mohammed. Themteam tends to play a more scoring game now, taking less measures in their half court. However, Miami is on a roll with two consecutive wins in away matches, and they would like to beat the Pistons after last year’s playoff second round. Tonight’s game seems to be a hard fight in defense, and the Heat can prevail with Dwayne Wade’s extra effort in the breaking minutes. Therefore Under 193 is the pick for this dogfight for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hosting the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center after the former lost to the Bucks two days ago due to a poor scoring performance by their superstar Kobe Bryant. Having missed more than 60% of his field goal attempts, Bryant was not able to lead his team, and a loss over a high scoring opponent with a fire gunner was inevitable. On the other side of the court, the Jazz picked up a remarkable win over San Antonio, forcing their opponent to take uncomfortable shots and score only 75 points. However, fatigue from the last night’s game will be very effective on the strength of this team’s defense since Los Angeles does have many opportunities to penetrate into the holes in the Jazz defense. Also, Bryant would like to show the crowd that he is still the best player in the league. Expected as a tight game, the Lakers will push for the win and the margin in the final minutes. The pick is Los Angeles -3.5 for 4 units.

The New York Knicks are turning their route to Cleveland tonight for a challenge with the Cavaliers. Poor scoring performance of the Knicks resulted in a substantial loss to Chicago a few days ago. On the other side of the court, Cleveland would like to try to regain and consolidate their leadership in the division. In order to do this, LeBron James and Drew Gooden must step up their gameplay. Expected as a tight game, New York +10.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Charlotte Bobcats are traveling to Atlanta to meet the Hawks after they chalked up a substantial win over the Nets away from home last night. Stabilizing defense and stopping Carter and Kidd helped the away team win by three points, conceding only 92. On the other hand, Atlanta lost to the Wizards in a competitive game, in which the away team forced the win until the end of the last period. Tonight’s game could be a hard fight between two strict teams, but 189 points is too low a total for a game like this. The pick is Over 189 for 4 units.

The Seattle Supersonics are hosting the Orlando Magic tonight after Orlando’s recent excellent form, thanks torising performances from Dwight Howard and defensive strength of their backcourt players. The away team considers this match as a comfortable one for themselves since they lead the division while their opponents are having nightmares. The Sonics, however, must win this game because they showed the signs of inactivity in offense and low scoring potential despite Ray Allen’s consistent gameplay. The home team seems to force the game in scoring, and the Magic is going to find a way to level it in offense too. Therefore Over 195 is the 4 point pick for this game.

Minnesota Timberwolves are traveling to Houston to challenge the Rockets tonight after they lost to Dallas, who achieved a 10 game winning streak, last night. Already defeated as early as the beginning moments of the third quarter of yesterday’s match, the Timberwolves indicated a sign of self esteem when they leveled the game with three minutes to go in the last period, forcing the Mavs to take serious measures to win the game. Garnett’s great effort was accompanied by that of Foye. For tonight’s game, they are challenging one of the hardest teams in the league with rising performance by superstar Tracy McGrady as well as defensive work of Yao Ming. Both teams are going to fight for a win, and a low score game can be expected. Under 177.5 is the pick for this game - 4 units.

The Denver Nuggets are welcoming the Memphis Grizzlies after a win against the Clippers two nights ago. The home team is on a roll, and they seem to force their opponents to play fast, like Phoenix Suns have been implementing since Steve Nash was acquired. In the high tempo, Carmelo Anthony has an advantage of physical strength and this shows on the entire team. On the other side, the Grizzlies come to Denver planning for a win by executing good and cooperative team defense. In their former away games, they showed what they can do and we expect that to continue tonight. Memphis +8.5 is the pick for 4 units.

Indiana Pacers are turning their route from home to Portland for a challenge with the Trail Blazers. The home team lost to Phoenix three night ago, when they failed to compensate for the points Phoenix guards Nash and Barbosa produced with extra effort. The scoring potential of this team is limited, and against a good defensive team, they’ll have to work hard to win. The Pacers are likely to make Portland struggle in offense, using Jermaine O’Neal in the frontcourt, and both teams will consider preventing their opponent from scoring rather than shooting the ball to the opposite basket. Hence, the pick is Under 189 for 4 units.

Minnesota Timberwolves are traveling to Dallas to challenge the Mavericks, who have won their last eight games, showing signs of challenging for the championship. The Mavs’ rise is due to efforts produced by Dirk Nowitzki and Jush Howard, having returned three days ago to the squad. This team executes great defense, and is one of the most difficult teams to deal with when they are playing at home. Minnesota, on the other hand, tries to maintain consecutive wins, but they’ve been finding it tough this season. They do have really big problems, but extra effort by Kevin Garnett is likely to compensate for those tonight. The Mavs will play a plain game, so Minnesota +9 is the pick for 4 units.

The Utah Jazz are hosting the Orlando Magic tonight after an unexpected loss to the Warriors two days ago, suffering from a low field goal percentage as well as an excessive amount of turnovers. It was apparent against the Warriors that when Utah is not able to score 100+ points a game, their chances of winning come into question because of their poor defense. On the other hand, the Magic are on a roll, and they are likely to force tonight’s game right to the death. Orlando +6 is the pick for 4 units.

The Golden State Warriors are having their second consecutive game at home against San Antonio Spurs, who beat Seattle last night. The Spurs are in good condition after a shocking loss over the Mavericks three days ago, and they have the ability to complete their Western tour with two wins. The former champions execute good team defense and force their opponent to take uncomfortable shots when the shot clock is ticking down. On the other side of the court, the Warriors keep their hopes alive for division leadership, so they must win this game. Expected as a fairly hard fight between the two teams, the Spurs are in better condition. San Antonio -3.5 is the pick for 3 units.

The Denver Nuggets are hosting the Los Angeles Clippers tonight after they scored 140 points against the Golden State Warriors two nights ago. The home team is looking forward to a good performance by superstar Carmelo Anthony, who lifeted his gameplay in the last few games drastically, and efforts of Marcus Camby in the paint in terms of rebounds and blocks to win tonight’s match up against the Clippers. The away team is aware of the fact that once the margin has been established, comeback against a team that knows how to score is going to be tough. Hence, the main aim of both teams is going to be on scoring.  Therefore the pick for this game is Over 214 for 4 units.

The San Antonio Spurs are traveling to Seattle to challenge the Supersonics after a close loss to Dallas. Having concede 39 points in the first period of the game, the Spurs managed to consolidate their defense and come back in the middle of the third quarter. On the other side of the court, the Supersonics lost to Sacramento two days ago, scoring less than what they were expected to. Inefficiency in scoring gameplay is due to concentration, and tonight’s game may be an example of that. The pick is Under 198 for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Lakers are returning home after a loss to the Jazz even with the efforts of Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom. This team works hard, and Kobe, being a smarter player now, normally gets itself out of trouble. Odom’s role in the team is substantial, and Luke Walton must be there, too. On the other side, New Jersey, after losing to Phoenix, need a win, but they must get significant contribution from Jason Kidd and Vince Carter. The gameplay of these two is likely to draw the scheme of tonight’s game, but Lakers are two steps ahead of the Nets, having a better discipline for now. Lakers –4.5 is the pick for 4 units.

In perhaps the biggest rivalry in the league today, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks meet tonight to try to continue their respective winning streaks. The first match up between these teams ended happily for the Spurs, but can do this again. The Mavericks, after a very poor 0-4 start to the season, came back winning 7 straight by going back to their successful defensive plays of last year. Dirk Nowitzki and his teammates would like to have a win over their biggest rival, and their defensive capability is likely to determine the result of the game. This is expected to be a close game.  The pick is Dallas + 4.5 for 4 units.

The Memphis Grizzlies are hosting the Washington Wizards tonight after a loss to Cleveland three days ago. Memphis like to play slow tempo games and they will determine the game flow at home against a team which has the ability to score but limited in defense.  Arenas’ performance in the last games left alone due to lots of misses from the rest of the team, and they are not likely to reach 95 points against a good defensive team. The pick for this match is Under 192 for 5 units.

The league frontrunners Utah Jazz are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers, who beat the Bulls and Clippers by sticking to the strict gameplay of Phil Jackson, in which much of the work is handled by Kobe Bryant and Odom’s shooting guard performances. The main difference in the home team this season is that not only is their defense first class, but they are also able to score lots of points.  However, the Jazz defense may be spoiled by Andrew Bynum, the sophomore pivot of the Lakers, along with Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur in the paint. This game is going to be a clash of two rising teams, so a close game is expected. Lakers +5.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are traveling to Toronto to take on the Raptors after an exhaustive win against the Grizzlies whose last period was an enormous breakdown for Cleveland’s defense. Cleveland’s scoring potential was almost normal, but their defensive weakness in the last minutes of the game creates some pessimistic opinions in the minds of NBA analysts. Drew Gooden’s extraordinary performance was not fully supported by LeBron James, but the Cavs was able to win the game. On the other side of the court, Toronto would like to beat a tired Cavs crew at home and end their losing streak as soon as possible. Both teams tend to play offensive gameplay, but Under 200 would be a rational choice since both teams show some signs of scoring problems in the game.  The pick is Under 200 for 4 units.

Detroit Pistons are hosting the Atlanta Hawks tonight at the Palace, having beaten Philadelphia 76ers last night. When Nazr Mohammed and Rasheed Wallace are motivated, the Pistons are a hard team to challenge especially at home. The Hawks are going to end their three-day holiday, but their intensive eagerness for high scoring matches does not seem to waiver. It is obvious that the away team will fight hard to be as close as they can to the Pistons in every minute of the match. So, Atlanta +7 handicap for 4 units is the pick for this match.

The Los Angeles Clippers are leaving the bench for a match up with the Seattle Supersonics in the Staples Center after last night’s loss to the Lakers, in which their superstar scored 40 points for the first time in the season to carry his team to the win. The Clippers frontcourt crew did not show up last night very effectively, but the team still managed to score over 100 points. Against a less defensive team, the Supersonics, Los Angeles is closer to a win with the exact gameplay they would like to execute. Sam Cassell’s limited contribution last night will spark him, and with a high scoring game, the pick Over 202 for 4 units.

The Memphis Grizzlies are heading to Cleveland for a challenge with the Cavaliers, with the hope of ending their poor start to the season minus the injured Pau Gasol. Playing a slow tempo game, the Grizzlies like to try to stop their opponent in the halfcourt.  But today they are up against one of the best players in NBA history (in our opinion), LeBron James.  His performance is likely to affect the game’s score with Cleveland ahead to win the game. That being said, the away team can be expected to fight hard in defense, so Memphis +10 is the pick for this game for 4 units.

The Dallas Mavericks are turning home after a win over Charlotte, increasing their winning streak to six games. In yesterday’s match, Marc Cuban’s team was eager to win the game in attack as well as defense, forcing the Bobcats into turnovers. A major factor in them eliminating San Antonio last season was their defensive capability, and they are back to that style again this season. With the help of Jush Howard, Dirk Nowitzki is executing calculating defense on key players. Tonight, Arenas must try hard to penetrate into Mavericks’ paint, so the Wizards may not reach 95+ points. Therefore, the pick for this game is Under 206 points for 4 units.

The two teams of Los Angeles are clashing tonight, the Lakers and the Clippers. This is a prestige game with plenty of pride at stake. Chris Kaman and Elton Brand are the best pivot-forward couple in the league at the moment, so the Lakers’ plans to score in the paint could be thwarted. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant’s return to form encourages the rest of the team, especially Lamar Odom, who was responsible for the team’s success when Bryant was sitting on the bench at the beginning of the season. Generally, the Clippers’ good gameplay could be challenged by Bryant’s efforts and Phil Jackson’s triangle defense revolution. So, the pick for this game is Over 192 for 4 units.

The Dallas Mavericks are traveling to Charlotte to challenge the Bobcats after a winning streak of five consecutive games. One of the early favourites for the championship, the Mavs will have to win these “easy” games, and they can do it tonight with ease. The home team is suffering from scoring problems, apparent against San Antonio when they scored only 95 points including the overtime period. Still, they can defend their basket well, but Dirk Nowitzki, the great German forward, seems to be the key player who is not matchable by any player in the league. Considering the offensive weakness of the home team, this match is likely to finish with a low score, therefore the pick is Under 190 for 4 units.

Isaah Thomas’ New York Knicks are hosting the Houston Rockets tonight with the hopes of recovering from defeat against Boston two days ago. The Knicks can score well, but when they throw the defense out of the window it becomes impossible to win that game. So, there is an expectation that this team may struggle against good defensive teams, and the Rockets are one of those “hard” teams. They tend to consolidate their defense as hard as the officials allow them, and score accordingly. Tracy McGrady does not take excessive shots, and let the Chinese pivot Yao Ming score in the paint at will. Against the Knicks, Ming should not have any difficulty to dominate the paint. In accordance with the defensive smell of this team, the game is likely to end with a low score.  The pick is Under 196 for 4 units.

The Toronto Raptors are heading to Utah to challenge the Jazz tonight after an exhaustive loss over the Denver Nuggets after scoring 109 points. They can play “small ball” well with Ford, but what can they do against a rocky team? Hopefully, Utah is not that type of a crew, but their scoring potential must not be underestimated. Being the No. 1 team in the league for now, the Jazz is seeking a win tonight, scoring 110+ points, but the Raptors are going to fight to do that too. Expecting not many defensive plays, our pick is Toronto +9 handicap for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hosting the Chicago Bulls tonight, after Kobe Bryant’s return to full condition with 31 points against Toronto Raptors, against which he had scored 81 points in the previous season. Lakers coach Phil Jackson tries hard to stabilize the defensive strength of the team, but Lamar Odom’s fluctuating performance may sometimes leave the team with one “hard man” missing. On the other side, the Bulls would like to show the crowd that they can match it with teams away from home. Ben Wallace, though he was not able to fulfill expectations from him as a defensive player, could get into the court tonight if Andrew Bynum, the sophomore pivot of the Lakers, does not fire up. The Lakers are one step ahead to win the game. Lakers ML is the 4 unit pick for this game.

The San Antonio Spurs are leaving home for a challenge with the Sacramento Kings, who lost to the Golden State Warriors two days ago. The home team scored well on that night, but were woeful in defense, having only Ron Artest fighting for rebounds. Kevin Martin tries to handle scoring of his team with the help of Mike Bibby, but this may not be enough to win a game against a high scoring team. The Spurs are one of those teams. They can also execute good defense, so Sacramento’s offensive activity will also drop. The Spurs lost to the Charlotte Bobcats at home in overtime, but conceded only 95 points. Greg Popovic’s team is likely to test their skills one more time in Sacramento’s Arco Arena. Likely to be a close game with a high score likely.  Therefore, the pick is over 186.5 for 4 units.